This amazing discovery just goes to show that even deadly predators can act super cute sometimes. Simon and Jekyll are a pair of great white sharks who have developed a special and highly unusual bond. Scientists from the Museum of Science in Boston, working as part of the OCEARCH collaboration, have been studying shark behavior off the southeast coast of the US. In 2022 they made a remarkable discovery.
Two male-tagged sharks traveled 4,000 miles up the Atlantic coast eventually reaching the Gulf of St Lawrence which in itself is a remarkable journey. But these guys did the trip together! The scientists had never seen anything like this before and are now analyzing biological samples from the sharks to see if they are related to each other or simply great buddies.
How Far Do Great White Sharks Normally Travel?
We have known for some time that great white sharks are a highly migratory species. They optimize resource availability by traveling between different habitats. They aim to be in the habitat that has the most food and best conditions at any given time and this can involve traveling considerable distances.
Research involving satellite tagging is providing more information than ever about their movements. In this news bulletin, we learn that the sharks had traveled 4,000 miles which is an extraordinary distance. Previous studies have examined migrations of 2,500 miles and investigated the physiological adaptions that sharks may have to allow them to make such epic journeys.
Great white sharks are usually solitary animals but this may not be the whole story.
©iStock.com/Martin Heyn
What Do Great White Sharks Normally Eat?
Great white sharks are carnivores and so their diet consists largely of other animals. They are both opportunistic and generalist hunters and will therefore eat most things that they are given the chance to consume.
If they had to name their favorite food, it would probably be seals or another pinniped including seal lions. They also eat several dolphin species including Risso’s dolphins, bottlenose dolphins, and dusky dolphins. These sharks are fish eaters and consume tuna and mackerel to name just two types of fish on their menu. Great white sharks are also able to catch and eat sea birds.
In addition, these sharks are scavengers and will feed on carcasses of animals that have been killed by other predators or that have died of natural causes. A whale carcass is a great source of food for them!
Do Great White Sharks Normally Live Alone?
The great white shark (Carcharodon carcharias) is a large (they weigh up to 5,000 pounds) and mainly solitary predator but that is not the complete picture. They gather in groups around seal colonies and may even hang out together to take advantage of each other’s kills. Groups of sharks are often spotted feeding on whale carcasses together but there is no obvious social hierarchy.
New research is revealing that they may even form loose social associations. They may even take part in ‘social foraging’ which is foraging for food in groups. However, research into this is at an early stage, and, likely, behavior varies widely among individual sharks. We still have a lot to learn about these magnificent creatures.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © iStock.com/ShaneMyersPhoto
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